Cream Buns
by pottermum
Summary: How exactly did Neville and Hannah get together? Cream Buns, of course. And a little bit of help from Harry, Ginny and a toad named Cody, er Brody! Set approx. 3 years after Final Battle, canon and epilogue compliant *NEW CHAPTER ADDED*
1. Chapter 1

Harry puffed as he jogged down Diagon Alley, keeping a lookout for any photographers. He liked to jog early in the morning, and avoid the crowds that came to England's main wizarding shopping area. If he timed it right, he could buy some lovely fresh breakfast rolls from Hannah Abbot at the Leaky Cauldron. Thinking of them now, his mouth watered.

He saw some of the vendors began setting up for the day, but stopped in surprise at a familiar figure. " Neville?"

Neville Longbottom spun around. " What-oh, hey Harry!" The two men embraced quickly, then broke apart.

" You're out early," commented Harry, guzzling his bottle of water.

" Yeah, I-" he gestured to the shop he'd been standing in front of, _'Magical_ _Menagerie'._ " Figured it was time to replace Trevor. I'm just not sure if I want to get another toad or not."

Harry felt a pang of sympathy. He'd held off getting a new owl as long as he could, until he finally caved. He and Ginny had shopped together, and found the perfect little owl. Ginny had named him Cupid, for he would be delivering their precious letters to each other while she was away at Hogwarts for her last year. Ron had merely rolled his eyes at the ridiculous name and made Harry promise not to let Ginny name their children.

" Don't look on it as replacing, as much as honouring Trevor, by getting a new toad," said Harry, patting his back.

" Yeah, I guess," sighed Neville. Harry could see something else was troubling him, so he gestured to a nearby seat. The two sat down.

" Gran's ill," explained Neville, after Harry enquired about her. " Has been for awhile. It's just hit me, really, that when she goes, I'll be all alone."

" You'll always have us, Nev," reminded Harry. " We'll always be there for you."

" It's not the same," said Neville, looking away, " but thanks."

The two sat in silence for several seconds before Neville spoke again. " I always envied Ron with his large family, you know."

" Same," agreed Harry.

" I used to wish I had a brother. Sometimes I wanted an older one, then I'd change my mind and I'd wish for a little brother," said Neville.

" You'd have made a good big brother. Ginny told me how you looked after the firstie's _that_ year," said Harry. There was no need to verbalise on his meaning of _that_ year. The year that Harry was off with Hermione and Ron. The year that Death Eaters took over Hogwarts, forcing Ginny, Luna and Neville to re-form the DA. The year good finally triumphed over evil.

" Right now I could really use a big brother," sighed Neville. " There's this girl."

"Merlin, you don't need the Talk, do you?" joked Harry.

Neville chuckled. "No, although I did get that from my Gran. Luckily Seamus gave me some reading material in our fifth year that cleared up any questions I had."

Harry wondered the wisdom of sex advice from Seamus Finnegan. He knew what sort of magazines Seamus had back then, having flicked through a couple himself.

" Hey, why don't I grab some breakfast rolls from Hannah at the Leaky and we'll go back to Grimmauld Place," suggested Harry. " We can talk more, and Gin would love to see you."

" I didn't think Ginny was supposed to leave Wales during the season," said Neville, as they got up to walk to the Leaky Cauldron.

"Yeah, that was during her first year. We, erm, might have forgotten to let the family know those restrictions were lifted for her second year. Now she gets one weekend off a month," said Harry.

" And you guys want to spend it alone," smiled Neville, knowingly. " So I definitely shouldn't be coming back with you to Grimmauld Place."

" Nah, it's fine. Gin will skin me alive if I don't bring you back, and we've got the rest of the weekend together," said Harry, thinking of his gorgeous girlfriend.

" Only if you're sure," said Neville, giving Harry one last chance to change his mind.

Harry nodded, and went into the Leaky to order breakfast for three. He was out shortly after, extending Hannah's good wishes to Neville, pondering on Neville's flushed face. Companionably, the two men walked home, a warming charm on the bag of food that smelled delicious. On the way they caught up on news of their other friends.

Harry gestured for Neville to go ahead of him as they entered Grimmauld Place. Hearing noise in the kitchen, Neville headed there while Harry re-set the wards.

" Hey Ginny, I-bloody hell!" Neville quickly backed out of the kitchen with his eyes covered.

" Neville!" shrieked Ginny, covering herself as she ran upstairs.

" Erm, sorry about that," said an embarrassed Harry. " I'll just run upstairs and let Gin know what's going on. Go ahead, get started," he said, racing up the stairs.

Neville chuckled as he went into the kitchen. It looked like Ginny had things nearly ready. He made a pot of tea and let it steep; taking it to the table. He opened the bag and saw the delicious breakfast rolls, as well as his favourite cream buns. His mouth was watering.

With no sign yet of Harry or Ginny, Neville wondered what it would be like to come home and find Han-er, his dream girl waiting for him, naked.

" Morning again, Nev," said Ginny cheerfully, entering the kitchen. She was now dressed in one of Harry's Auror tee shirts, with one sleeve hanging off her shoulder. She also wore Harry's boxer shorts.

" Hi Ginny, good to see you," greeted Neville, as she stopped to hug him.

" Just didn't expect to see that much of me, I bet," she teased, making him flush.

" Thanks for making the tea, mate," said Harry, pouring three cups for them.

" Cream buns, yum!" said Ginny, her eyes lighting up.

" Strange, I didn't order them," said Harry, frowning. He looked at his girlfriend when she nudged his leg under the table and looked pointedly at Neville. " So Nev, this girl you mentioned..."

A sudden thought hit Ginny. " It's not Luna, is it?" she asked worriedly. For she had met Luna's boyfriend, Rolf, and thought he was perfect match for Luna.

Nev chuckled and shook his head. " No, it's not Luna. I think Rolf is the perfect guy for our Luna," he said.

Harry knew the three of them had gotten close due to that year at Hogwarts. Many times they referred to each other as _our_ Nev, or _our_ Luna or _our_ Ginny. They were close like he, Ron and Hermione were. Circumstances of war had made them see and do things that only they understood. Harry and Ginny had talked about _that_ year in great detail, but there were things that couldn't be explained if one hadn't been there to experience it.

"Where did you meet her?" asked Ginny gently. She curled her leg around Harry's under the table. He placed his free hand on her knee.

" At Hogwarts. She's not a Gryffindor," he said hurriedly. " I got to know her better _that_ year, but it wasn't the best time to start something, was it?" he asked rhetorically.

" So what's the problem, Nev?" asked Harry, breaking off another roll for Ginny and placing it on her plate. She poured him another cup of tea, adding one sugar and stirring. She then pushed it towards him.

" I don't know how to approach her. You've seen all that crap in the papers about me and other witches. I don't want her to think I'm really like that, some sort of playboy wizard," said a frustrated Neville.

Since he'd killed Nagini during the Final Battle, and with Harry declaring himself off the market, witches flocked to Neville. Having been practically ignored by females for most of his time at Hogwarts, Neville was hating the added attention. He didn't know if any of these witches truly liked him, or were only interested in fifteen minutes of fame. So he tended to ignore them, preferring the company of trusted friends, and spending most of his time in his greenhouses.

Ginny tried not to snort into her tea, and could see Harry smother a grin behind his cup. " Nev, if she knew you at Hogwarts, she'd know you're not like that," said Ginny gently. " You're as much a playboy wizard as Harry is!"

" Hey!" protested Harry. " I'll have you know last week alone I fathered three children while having two torrid love affairs," he said, grinning.

" Only two! It must have been a quiet week for the papers," said Ginny, patting his hand. He immediately linked his fingers through hers and squeezed.

" See, that's it. I hate that they say that about you, when we all know you're so happy with Ginny. It's not right that they can say those things," protested Neville.

Ginny shrugged. " All they have to do is use the word _'alleged'_ and they're off the hook," she said, with a hint of bitterness.

" What if...what if _she_ thinks I'm really like that?" asked Neville, gesturing to the paper.

" Then she's not the right girl for you," said Ginny. She let go of Harry's hand to take Neville's. " None of us who know you believe all that rubbish in the paper. If she knows you like we do, then she'll know the truth."

" What house was she in?" asked Harry, curiously.

" Hufflepuff," sighed Neville, stirring his tea.

Ginny eyed Harry and gestured to the bag from the Leaky Cauldron. " You know, Nev, if you don't know how to approach this witch, I can set you up with some lovely ladies," said Ginny, with a wink at Harry.

Harry sat back, amused. She had that look on her face when she was going to prank her brothers, or drop a bomb on them, like when she had told them she had made the Harpies team. He waited to see where she was going with this.

" There's Susan Bones, she works with Harry. Or Padma Patil is in town, oh, we should have her over for tea one night! Or..."

Neville stopped listening as Ginny named her co-Chaser for the Harpies, and Verity, who worked at WWW. Until she suddenly said-

" Of course, there's always Hannah Abbott."

Neville gulped and sat up straight. "H-Hannah? Hannah Abbott?"

Ginny nodded. " Do you remember her, Nev? She's so sweet, she works at the Leaky Cauldron. Such an excellent cook. Thanks for getting those cream buns, Harry. I love them," she said, licking her lips.

" I know, you ate mine," said Harry, dryly.

" They're my favourite," said Neville.

" Really? How interesting," said Ginny. She looked at Harry. " You didn't happen to mention that Neville was joining you for breakfast, did you?" she asked.

" As a matter of fact, I did," said Harry, surprised. " How did you know?"

Ginny wanted to roll her eyes. " We should stop by the Leaky to thank her. Oh, what a shame, we've got plans for later. Nev, perhaps you could do it for us?" she suggested.

" Plans? What plans? I thought we were going to...erm, never mind," said Harry. "Hey, you could ask Hannah to help you pick out a new animal."

Ginny perked up as her boyfriend got up to speed. " Oh yes, particularly if you want another toad. Hannah had a toad long before she came to Hogwarts, but she chose to bring a cat. She was heartbroken when Cody died. It took her a long time to get another one," she confided.

Harry spluttered. " She had a toad named Cody?"

"It's a good name for a toad," said Neville, almost defensively.

"She named her new one Brodie," said Ginny. " I like it!"

" This from a witch who named the family owl, Pigwidgeon," chuckled Harry.

"You know what, I think I may swing past the Leaky and thank Hannah for the buns," said Neville, "and ask her about her toad. What have I got to lose?"

Ginny stood and kissed his cheek. "Good luck," she said. "Let me know how it goes."

Neville offered to help them tidy up from breakfast, but they told him to forget it. Harry walked him to the door to open, then re-set, the wards.

"Don't be too long, Harry," said Ginny, in a sultry voice as she headed upstairs.

Harry gulped as he watched her go. Neville had to cough to remind him he was there. Sheepishly, Harry followed him to the door.

"Thanks for today, Harry. It really helped," said Neville.

"Really? We really didn't do anything," said Harry, puzzled.

Neville smiled. "Just seeing the two of you together helped. Gives me hope, you know."

"Well, I'm glad we helped," said Harry, "and I hope it all works out with Hannah."

"Thanks, Harry," said Neville, preparing to leave.

"Hey Nev," called Harry. "About that brother thing. I-er, I'm here, if you ever need to talk."

Neville smiled and nodded. "Thanks...little brother."

Harry's jaw dropped open.

"What?" asked Neville, smirking. "I _am_ a day older than you."

Harry threw back his head and laughed. "I guess you are... big brother!"

Neville nodded and walked away, whistling. Harry watched him go before setting the wards. Still smiling, he walked down the hall and prepared to head upstairs.

"That was sweet," said Ginny, who'd been sitting halfway up the stairs, listening.

"He's gone to talk to Hannah," said Harry.

"Not that, you and Nev. Big brother, little brother," she teased gently.

Harry smiled softly. "How lucky am I, to have so many brilliant brothers."

"Well, I know you're about to _get_ lucky," grinned Ginny.

"This day keeps getting better and better," smirked Harry, running up the stairs. He tickled her, making her cry out and run to their bedroom, with Harry close behind her.

"I do need to work off that cream bun," she said, winking at him.

Harry coughed.

"Okay, _those_ cream buns," pouted Ginny.

Harry sighed. "We may have to be here all day."

"You make it sound like a chore," said Ginny, laughing as she playfully slapped him.

"Remember those plans I mentioned," she said, as he tossed off his tee shirt.

"Yeah, I didn't know we had plans, apart from spending the day here," said Harry, stripping Ginny of her tee shirt. Well actually, his tee shirt.

"How would you feel about dinner at the Leaky tonight?" asked Ginny, lifting her bottom so Harry could take off her boxers. Well actually, his boxers.

"Checking up on them, Gin?" chuckled Harry, removing his sweat pants and underwear. She nodded.

"Plus I owe you a cream bun," said Ginny, running her hands over his body as he lay on top of her.

"I thought we were staying low key while you were here," said Harry, kissing under her ear and down her neck.

"We could use glamours, or go in disguise," said Ginny, excitedly. She had helped Harry practice his glamour charms months ago for an Auror training exercise, and they'd had a lot of fun.

"All that for a cream bun?" asked Harry, nuzzling the top of her breast.

"No, for your big brother," said Ginny, running her fingers through her hair. "He might need us."

"He'll be fine. Hannah's obviously keen, judging by the cream buns," grinned Harry.

"She's liked him for ages," agreed Ginny. "I think they'd make a good match."

"Good enough for _your_ Nev," teased Harry.

Ginny nodded. "Luna agrees too."

"Did Luna and Neville have this discussion about me, for you?" asked Harry, amused.

"Probably," shrugged Ginny. "It's what we do. If it counts for anything, you got my vote," she teased.

"Thank Merlin!" sighed Harry, pretending to be worried.

Ginny prodded him in his ribs, making him wince. "Hey!"

"Prat," she scolded gently. " You know, if this works out between them, we can say they were brought together by a cream bun," laughed Ginny.

"And a toad named Cody," agreed Harry.

"Brodie," corrected Ginny.

"Whatever," cried Harry, rolling over onto her. "It's a ridiculous name."

"You just have no imagination when it comes to names," huffed Ginny.

"I'm still naming our kids," grinned Harry.

"I can't wait to see what you come up with," giggled Ginny.

Well, we know what Harry came up with, don't we? Wink wink!


	2. Chapter 2 Later that day

A/N Id always hoped to write a second chapter, but inspiration hasn't been my friend these last couple of months. However, a spark came to me today, and so here it is. I hope you get a laugh out of this one. pettybeauracrat, this one's for you, to honour your new additions. There are many more years of reading HP to them!

Harry woke after a snooze, feeling warm and snug. A flowery aroma invaded his senses, and he felt as if a silky scarf was draped over his face. He rolled over, intending to get closer to the warmth. However, he found himself unable to move.

He opened his eyes, wondering if he had been hit with the Petrificus Totalis spell. Instead he found his girlfriend laying over him, one of her strong muscled legs and an arm pinning him down. Her hair, long and loose, lay spread over his face, and he managed to raise his hand and lightly brush her hair away from her face.

He studied it lovingly. Waking up with her was amazing, in his arms, where she belonged. Or himself in her arms, he wasn't fussed. He watched her eyelids flutter, counted every freckle on her face, and watched her tongue moisten her lips.

Ginny stirred, her naked body rubbing against his. He knew better than to speak before she was fully awake, so he watched as she slowly began to realise where she was. She smiled sleepily up at him, snuggling against him. " Hi," she mumbled.

" Hi, beautiful," he spoke softly, these first few moments awake so precious. " Have I told you how much I love you being here."

Ginny tightened her hold of him. " There's nowhere I'd rather be," she said, kissing his chin.

He tightened his hold on her. " What time is it?" she asked.

Harry chanced a look at his watch. "Six."

Ginny gasped in mock outrage. " Harry Potter, you sex beast, you've kept me in bed all day."

Harry laughed and rolled over on top of her. " I didn't hear you complaining too much." He kissed her neck, her chest and prepared to kiss his way down her body.

Then her stomach rumbled.

" Uh-oh, that's not good," he said, and Ginny snorted.

" Feed me, beast," she said, laughing.

" Erm, there's no food in the house. We were going to do some grocery shopping after Nev left, remember?" he asked.

Ginny sat up, Harry's arms dropping to her waist. She turned to look at him, her eyes alight. " We could go to the Leaky for tea?" she said excitedly.

Harry really didn't want to move. " Or we could order in? That pizza we had the other week was incredible. We can even eat in bed." He wiggled his eyebrows.

Ginny wasn't even listening. " We can check on Hannah and Nev, see what's happening," she said.

" Neville's probably long gone," said Harry, his hand slipping down to rub her thigh. " So, Hawaiian, Meatlovers?" he asked hopefully.

" Oh!" cried Ginny. She turned to look at Harry. " We should go in disguise. You know, glamours!"

" You're going to make me get up, get dressed and go out, aren't you?" whined Harry.

Ginny ran her hands through Harry's hair as he lay his head on her bare tummy. "Poor Harry. Of course I am. It's for your big brother, after all."

Harry chuckled, then sighed. " What do I have to do?" he asked, resigned that they were going to be going out.

" Well," said Ginny, lifting his arm and sniffing. " First things first. Shower, Mr Potter. You stink!"

She climbed out of bed and held out her hand to him. He took it and let her lead him to the bathroom. She started the shower and made sure the temperature was just right, then gestured for him to get in.

To his delight, she hopped in right behind him. As she lathered and washed his hair, he happily washed her front.

It was quite some time before they left the shower.

/*/*/*/*

An hour later they arrived at the Leaky. " Merlin, I'm starving!" groaned Ginny. She peered in the window. " Do you see Nev or Hannah?"

Harry was having a hard time taking his eyes off Ginny. She had a short blonde bob hairstyle, had a beauty mark above her ruby red lips which was driving him wild, and she wore dark sunglasses and a trench coat, with heels. " Harry?" she hissed.

He dragged his eyes off her bare legs and back to her face. " Huh? Oh, yeah, erm..." He peered inside the window. " Oh, there's Hannah, behind the bar."

" Great, let's go inside," said Ginny, nudging him.

Harry took a moment to make sure his handlebar moustache was firmly in place. He adjusted his eye patch, and checked his appearance in the window's reflection. The scar running down his cheek that Ginny had added made him look dangerous.

" Harry!" she hissed, gesturing for him to enter. He took her hand and opened the door for her. He made to sit near the bar, near Hannah, but Ginny pulled on his hand.

" We need a booth," she hissed, and he ended up following her to a secluded corner booth.

Ginny slid in and he sat next to her. They had a perfect view of the bar. Hannah bustled around, passing out drinks and joking with the patrons.

" Harry, when you go up to order, see if you can see Neville," said Ginny.

" Ginny, he's probably long gone," said Harry. " He-"

" He's here!" gasped Ginny, quickly holding the menus up to hide their faces. "On your left, near the gents."

Harry peeked over the top of his menu, scanning the crowd. " Oh yeah, there he is. Do you reckon-"

" Hi, I'm Hannah. What can I get for you both tonight?" Hannah Abbot's smiling but curious face looked down at them.

" Erm..." Ginny nudged him. Oh yeah, his voice. " What's good?" he asked, in a deep, gruff voice.

" Well, there's the usual. Fish and chips, steak and ale pie, bangers and mash. The pick of the lot would probably be the steak and kidney pud," said Hannah, her notebook at the ready.

Ginny's mouth salivated. They all sounded good, but she needed to return to Holyhead late Sunday, and knew Gwenog would know she over ate with one look. " I'll have the fish and chips, please. Grilled, if I could," she asked, in a breathy voice.

Hannah wrote it down and looked at Harry. " And you?"

" Steak and ale pie, cheers, doll," he said, with a wink. Hannah wrote his order down, a bit flustered. "Drinks?"

"A brewski," nodded Harry.

"Water for me, thanks," said Ginny. Her hand found Harry's thigh under the table.

" Great. Won't be long," said Hannah, and she took their menus and returned to the bar, depositing their order to the kitchen.

" Harry Potter, you're enjoying this!" cried Ginny softly. " The voice, the flirting, the brewski!"

Harry shrugged happily. " It's actually kind of fun being someone else. Do you like it...doll face?"

Ginny giggled. " Are you actually going to drink a brewski? Erm, what is a brewski, anyway?"

"It's slang for a pint," he explained. He twirled the end of his moustache cheekily.

" Harry?"

" Hmm?" asked Harry, looking around the pub, then back at Ginny.

She lowered her sunglasses and peered at him over the top of them. " You look dangerous...sexy...I like it."

He couldn't help himself, he had to kiss her. That pouty red mouth and that damned beauty spot. He kissed her hard and fast, his hand slipping to her waist. Her hand was rubbing his thigh and inching upwards.

A loud burst of laughter made them pull apart, breathing heavily. Harry took a quick look around, but no-one was paying them any attention. He looked back at Ginny and gasped. His moustache had come off his face and was now lopsided on Ginny's.

" Ginny!" he cried, trying not to laugh.

Ginny was trying not to laugh too. Her beauty spot had come off her and was now near the tip of Harry's nose. Movement over Harry's shoulder made her gasp quietly. "Hannah's coming with our meals!"

Harry palmed her face and kissed her hard again. He manouvred the hand closest to the wall to reattach his moustache as best he could without a mirror. " Ahem."

Harry slowly pulled away, eyes only on Ginny. He was relieved to see the moustache was no longer on her. " Sorry, doll. Can't keep my hands off her," he said, chancing a look at Hannah over his shoulder.

WACK! Ginny slapped his nose. Harry gasped and grabbed it, and Hannah jumped, nearly spilling their meals. " Sorry, there was a bug. On your nose," she explained, quickly opening and shutting her hand. There was something black lying on her palm.

Harry knew it was only her fake beauty spot, but it had really hurt. " Thanks, doll face," he said dryly.

" Anything for you, sweetie pie," she breathed, draping an arm over his shoulder and kissing his cheek.

Hannah was watching them curiously as she slid their meals over to them. " I'll be back with your drinks," she said, hurrying off.

" That was close," said Ginny, eating one of her chips.

" Ginny, that really hurt," whined Harry, rubbing the tip of his nose.

Ginny leaned closer. " Say it again...in that sexy voice," she requested.

Harry grinned. " Damn it, doll face, that hurt," he said, low and gruff.

Ginny cupped his chin. " So hot!" she breathed, before kissing him.

/*/*/*/*

" Everything all right, Hannah? You look worried," noted Neville, coming to the bar to get another drink. He'd returned to the Leaky Cauldron to thank Hannah for the cream buns, and they'd had a good conversation about their familiars. Hannah had even accompanied him to the Magical Menagerie to look for a new toad. Neville didn't see one he liked today, but Hannah had invited him back to the Leaky for lunch.

He'd had a few errands to run after lunch, but he'd returned to the Leaky for dinner, and chatted to Hannah as she worked behind the bar. As the dinner crowd came in, he made himself scarce. Now that the rush hour was over, Hannah was finishing soon. Neville planned to take her somewhere else for coffee, then see her home. If the opportunity came, he even hoped for a goodnight kiss.

" There's a couple over there, in the booth. I don't know, something just feels off about them," said Hannah, giving a discreet nod in the direction of Harry and Ginny's booth.

" They're just eating at the moment," said Neville, watching them.

" I have to take them their drinks. He ordered a brewski," snorted Hannah, easily pouring a pint.

" From out of town?" asked Neville, unfamiliar with the term.

" I don't know. I'll see what I can find out when I take them their drinks," said Hannah. She placed the drinks on a tray and with a wink to Neville that made him flush, she returned to the booth in the corner.

"She's coming back," nudged Ginny.

"Damn, this eye patch is really annoying me. Never thought I'd say it but I miss my glasses," grumbled Harry, rubbing one of his eyes. He stopped when Hannah approached. "Ah, good timing, doll," he praised.

Hannah smiled stiffly, after looking at him suspiciously for several seconds. "So, you folks from out of town?" she asked, giving Ginny her water, then Harry his beer.

"Oh, just passing through," said Ginny.

"Where are you headed?" asked Hannah.

"Wherever my doll face wants to go," said Harry, in his deep gruff voice.

Hannah glanced over to _'doll face'_ and saw her staring at _'eye patch man'_ with a blazing look. Merlin, it wasn't hard to guess what was on her mind! "Miss?"

Ginny realised Hannah was talking to her. "Erm, oh, Timbuktu? Yes, Timbuktu," she hastily said. She took a big gulp of water. "This is great water," she said.

"Mmm," muttered Hannah. They both suddenly found their meals quite interesting, and put their heads down over their plates. "Well, I'll be at the bar if you need anything else. Just call out for Hannah," she added.

"Timbuktu?" hissed Harry. "Where the bloody hell is Timbuktu?"

Ginny giggled. "It was the only place I could think of. Teddy's been singing that song, and it's in that. A sailor went to sea, sea, sea..." She giggled again. "It's stuck in my brain."

Harry chuckled too. "It's quite repetitive."

Ginny snorted. "Annoying is what it is, but Teddy looks so proud when he gets to the end of it. It really is a lot for a little boy to remember. I think Teddy's going to be really smart," she said proudly. She took a bite of her fish and groaned. "So good."

"You think that's good, try this," said Harry, offering her a bite of his pie.

"Oh wow, mmm, so good, mmm," muttered Ginny, appreciatively.

"How long are we planning on staying after we've eaten. We can see Nev is here, talking to Hannah, so seems like a success to me. Can't we go home and you can let me make you make those noises in bed...doll face," he finished, growling.

Ginny looked at him in surprise, liking this playful side of Harry. "Most definitely," she agreed quickly.

"Great," said Harry. He picked up his knife and fork. "Eat quickly!"

/*/*/*/*

"They're definitely up to something," said Hannah, as she returned to the bar, standing beside Neville.

"Why, what happened?" asked Neville, his gaze darting back to them.

"Well, his eye patch was covering his other eye, for a start," snorted Hannah, " and his moustache is crooked. When I asked them where they were headed, she told me Timbuktu. As if that's a real place," she said, rolling her eyes.

Neville looked around. If Hannah left when she was supposed to, it only left old Tom and two young girls waiting tables and tending bar. If these two in the corner were up to trouble, they wouldn't have much in the way of resistance.

"Well, I'm not leaving till they do," he stated.

Hannah stared at him in surprise. "Oh, thank you, Neville. I have to admit, as much as I wanted to go for coffee with you, I didn't want to leave Tom and the others alone. What if they're planning to rob us, or something. They're both fiddling under the table with something. What if they have their wands ready to stun, or worse, a Muggle gun?" she cried.

"I won't let anything happen to you, Hannah," said Neville.

"Oh Neville," cried Hannah, flinging herself into his arms. He folded his arms around her, delighted to feel her curves fit nicely against his body. Her intoxicating fragrance filled his senses, and he just knew he would never tire of that aroma.

"You go about your business. Don't let the others know, we don't want to cause a panic. I'll sit here and keep an eye on them," vowed Neville.

Hannah planted a kiss on his cheek. "You're amazing, Neville," she said, then blushed and went to clean some tables.

/*/*/*/*

"So, you finished?" asked an eager Harry.

"Did you see that?" whispered Ginny. "Hannah just hugged Nev, then kissed his cheek. Oh, this is so great," she said, rubbing his thigh.

"Great, I'm very happy for them, we'll throw them a wedding," said Harry, hurriedly. "Now can we please get out of here?"

"Wait," said Ginny, clutching his arm. "I think Nev's on to us. He's sitting there, watching us."

"We're watching him, he's watching us. Come on, Gin, let's go home," said Harry.

"Everything all right?" asked Hannah, come to clean their table. They had been so focused on Neville, they hadn't kept an eye on her whereabouts. "Dessert?"

"Not for me, thanks. Say, who's that handsome man at the bar?" asked Ginny, in her breathy voice.

"That's Neville Longbottom. He's my...friend, and he's a national hero," said Hannah, defensively.

"What's he watching my doll face for," said Harry, gruffly.

"Oh, sweetie pie, I don't think he's watching me, I think he may have eyes for Miss Hannah, here," said Ginny.

Hannah flushed. "Well, erm, is there anything else I can get you?" she asked. She slid them the bill when they both shook their heads. "You can pay at the bar," she gestured.

"Thanks," said Ginny, grabbing the bill. Neither of them moved, and Hannah had no reason to hang around.

"Well, I hope you enjoyed your meal and that you enjoy your travels," she finally said, and walked back to the bar.

/*/*/*/*

"Why aren't they leaving?" she asked Neville rhetorically, fifteen minutes later. "Should I call the Aurors? I wonder if Harry's working tonight?" she asked.

"No, he's got the weekend off. Ginny's in town," said Nev, then blanched. "Only, you can't tell anyone, especially any of Ginny's family."

"Damn, this waiting is driving me crazy," said Hannah, running her hands through her long blonde hair. It had been up in a pony tail earlier, but she had taken it down as she was getting a headache from all the worrying.

"Right, that's it," said Neville. "I'm going to go over and talk to them," said Neville, determinedly.

"What? What are you going to say?" asked Hannah, exhilarated by this confident Neville.

"I'll just ask if there's anything else they'd be needing, and if they say no, I'll suggest they move on," decided Neville.

"Oh, you're so brave, Neville. Be careful," she said.

Neville nodded and took a last gulp of his Butterbeer to fortify him. He wiped his mouth with his arm, then headed over to the booth in the corner.

"Evening sir, ma'am," he said, nodding his head to them.

Ginny and Harry stopped whispering and looked at him.

"Erm, the pub's shutting early tonight...was there anything else we can get for you?" he asked.

Harry and Ginny looked at him, then each other. Neither spoke.

"Because if not, then it's time for you to leave," continued Neville, bravely.

Harry leaned forward. "Nev, it's us."

"Pardon?" asked Neville, leaning closer.

Harry looked around the bar. "It's Harry and Ginny," he whispered.

Neville looked at them both, then slid into the booth opposite them. "Harry? Ginny?"

They both nodded, and started laughing.

Neville let out a sigh of relief. "Merlin, I was worried...we were worried, me and Hannah. We thought you were going to rob the place," he admitted.

"That's it!" gasped Ginny.

"What's what?" asked Harry, fearfully.

"Nev has to forcibly evict us from the Leaky! Nev, you need to grab Harry's arm and pull him out of the booth and threaten to call the Aurors. Then you tell us to never come back," said Ginny, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Erm, dumb question, but why?" asked Neville, looking between the two. Harry simply shrugged.

"Because then Hannah will think you're amazing, which is true, and will kiss you for being so brave," said Ginny.

Neville and Harry looked at each other, debating whether to go along with Ginny or not. "I don't want Hannah to like me for false reasons," said Neville.

"Oh, pooh, she already likes you, Neville. You both just need a bit of a nudge to cross that line from friends to...more than friends. It's why we're here. Harry wanted to help his big brother," teased Ginny, her hand squeezing his thigh under the table.

Harry sighed. "Fine, let's do it. Then, can we go home," he pleaded.

"Of course, sweetie," placated Ginny. "Go on, Nev, whenever you're ready."

"Right," coughed Neville. "Er, how?"

Ginny sighed. " What do you mean, we have to go. You can't make us," she said loudly. She then raised her eyebrows at Neville, encouraging him to continue the charade.

Neville gulped but stood. "I think it's time you were on your way." He reached down to grab Ginny's arm.

" Hey, don't you be touching my doll face," yelled Harry, gruffly. He got out of the booth and removed Neville's hand from Ginny's arm.

" Make it look good, boys," whispered Ginny.

The two men shuffled awkwardly against each other. " I'll have to ask you to leave," said Neville. Harry allowed him to pin his arm behind his back and escort him out, with Ginny angrily behind him, pretend to pummel Neville's back. " Out, or I'll call the Aurors," he ordered, he pointed. Hannah had the door open at the ready.

" Ooh, maybe ' arry Potter will come, that'll teach 'em to mess with our war 'eroes," said a bar patron.

" All right, all right, we're going," spat Harry. Ginny hurried to his side, throwing a disgusted look at Neville.

"And don't come back," said Neville, and he slammed the door behind them.

" Neville you were brilliant," cried Hannah, and to the applause of the ten or so people in the pub, she kissed him.

It was everything Neville had dreamed it would be. Her lips were lush and full, her body pressed against his. But apart from that, there was the sense that this was right, this was how it was meant to be.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement. In the middle of the kiss he looked over to the window to see Harry and Ginny looking in, giving him the thumbs up and grinning madly. Neville closed his eyes again.

They pulled apart, with Hannah flushing in embarrassment. " I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me."

" Don't be sorry. It was everything I'd hoped it would be," said Neville, honestly.

Tom, the owner came hobbling over to them. " Thanks, Neville, you were brilliant. How about a drink, on the house?" he offered.

" Thanks, Tom but, if you don't need Hannah any more tonight, I thought I'd take her out for coffee, then see her home," he said.

" Of course, of course," said Tom. Hannah beamed and removed her apron and went to get her bag.

They left the Leaky Cauldron hand in hand.

/*/*/*/*

Harry and Ginny went upstairs as soon as they returned home. Harry flopped on the bed. " Well, that was something different," he quipped. " Coming to bed?" he asked hopefully.

Ginny laughed and kicked off her shoes. " That'll be a Saturday night that's hard to beat, next time I'm in town," she said, removing her wig.

Harry watched her, as she once again became the Ginny he loved, red hair, freckles and all. He started to remove his glamours and his clothes.

" Harry," purred Ginny. " Leave the moustache on." She shot him a saucy look.

Harry's heart skipped a beat. " Whatever you want...doll face." He quickly finished undressing, and lay down expectantly. " Well?"

Ginny still stood with her trench coat on. " Do you want me to take this off?" she asked.

Harry nodded, almost panting.

Ginny slowly removed her trench coat. Harry's jaw dropped open.

" You went out...with nothing on underneath that!" he cried.

Ginny nodded and grinned. She let out a little squeal as Harry lunged for her.

" You are a saucy little minx," said Harry, in his deep, gruff voice. He rolled over so she was under him.

" And you love it," said Ginny, looping her arms around his neck. " Harry?"

" Mmm?" asked Harry, who was busy nibbling down her neck.

" Suddenly I feel like a cream bun," said Ginny.

Harry looked up at her. " Wasn't two enough today?" he asked.

" But they were so good," pouted Ginny.

" I wouldn't know, I didn't get to try one," reminded Harry, dryly.

" Maybe we can go to the Leaky to get some more in the morning," suggested Ginny.

" The morning is a long way away, and I have other things in mind for you before then," said Harry, latching his mouth on to her skin at the top of her chest and kissing his way across.

" You're the boss, sweetie pie," said Ginny, in her breathy voice.

Harry snorted. " Yeah...right."

She shot him a look and, with surprising strength, rolled over so she was on top of him. " But I like it when you're in charge," she pouted.

" Only when you let me," teased Harry.

" Oh, you," said Ginny, lightly slapping his chest. He growled and rolled her over, and they nearly fell off the bed. Ginny shrieked and clung to him, as he moved them back into the centre. They laughed.

" Can you imagine if I returned to Holyhead and explained why I got injured when I was in bed with you," she said, in between bursts of laughter.

" Or me, hobbling into the Auror's office," laughed Harry. More than likely, his fellow male Aurors would slap him on the back.

" Dinner at the Burrow," they both cried, then fell silent. There was nothing funny about that.

Ginny curled into his side and he held her close. " Love you," she said softly.

" Love you too...doll face," he said, grinning.

"Oh, you..." And they started all over again, only this time, they made good use of the whole bed.

/*/*/*/*

Harry woke, with Ginny spread-eagled all over him. He had to laugh when he saw his moustache was attached to her cheek, and gently tried to remove it. Unfortunately, it was stuck so well, his attempts to remove it made her wake up.

" Mmm...morning, love," said Ginny, stretching. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. She grabbed the moustache from his hands and stuck it over her lips. " Kiss me," she ordered.

Harry gasped, playfully. "I'm not that kind of man, lady."

Ginny twirled the ends of the moustache. "Who're you calling a lady?"

They both laughed again, and Harry brought Ginny to his chest and kissed her softly.

POP. Kreacher appeared in their bedroom, deliberately looking in another direction.

" Would Master be wanting breakfast in bed this morning?" he asked.

Ginny shook her head. " No thanks, Kreacher, we'll come down in five minutes."

" Very good, Master Harry, Miss Ginny," said Kreacher, and quickly disappeared.

" He's never really gotten over that night he caught us, has he?" asked Ginny, as they made their way downstairs.

" I'd be traumatised too, if I caught somebody doing _that_ on the kitchen table," said Harry with a grin.

Kreacher was waiting for them to sit so he could serve them. The smell of bacon cooking had enticed them downstairs early. Ginny poured them both cups of tea and Harry buttered the toast.

As they began to eat, Ginny unfurled the paper. " Oh my," she said, grinning. She held it up so Harry could see.

' **War hero foils robbery at the Leaky Cauldron',** read the headline. Hannah and Tom had been interviewed, while Neville declined to comment, apart from saying he was glad no-one was hurt.

" **Neville was a real hero. Without any thought for his personal safety, he ordered the two would-be robbers out of the Leaky Cauldron and ordered them never to return. There was a slight scuffle, but Neville was very heroic," said Hannah Abbot, barmaid.**

 **The assailants, who may or may not, have had a Muggle fire-arm, have not been seen since. The Auror department advise the public not to approach them, as they may be dangerous.**

"These were also delivered this morning, compliments of Mr Longbottom," said Kreacher. He pointed to a plate piled high with four cream buns sitting there, waiting.

" Every good deed gets a reward," said Ginny, almost salivating over the buns.

" Breakfast first, buns later," laughed Harry.

They decided to go for a walk to the Leaky Cauldron mid morning. The pub was packed, as Tom and some patrons from the night before, told their story. It was getting quite embellished. Harry and Ginny found themselves ironically in the same booth as last night. Ginny put her head on Harry's shoulder as they listened to the story in amusement.

" -and Hannah was pretty sure they had a Muggle gun under the table. We were all really lucky Neville was here, and we escaped with our lives," said Tom.

Ginny put her hand on Harry's thigh. " So, is that a gun in your pocket?" She giggled naughtily.

" Yeah, well, if I knew what you _didn't_ have on under that coat, we probably would have left after five minutes," whispered Harry.

" This is what they look like. These photos will stay up behind the bar indefinitely. If you see either of them, call the Auror department straight away," said Tom.

" You'll protect us, won't you Harry," called out one of the patrons.

" From them two, yeah," said Harry, raising his glass at the photos of him and Ginny on the wall. " Not that you need me when Nev's around." For the man himself had just walked into the Leaky Cauldron, to escort Hannah to work.

" Three cheers for Neville Longbottom," cried out a voice from the back.

Harry and Ginny cheered the loudest. " Hip, hip, hooray."

Neville shot them an exasperated look, but smiled. " Thank you, it's very kind of you, please stop," he tried to say. He finally escaped the crowd and slid into Harry and Ginny's booth.

" Deja vu," grinned Harry.

" Sooo, how did it go with Hannah. Thanks for the cream buns, by the way," said Ginny.

" It was...perfect. She's brilliant," said Neville, dreamily. "We talked about our toads, and Hogwarts days and...er, other stuff. I'm taking her out for dinner tonight," he said. He looked at his two friends. " Thank you. Really, thank you."

"Happy to help," smiled Ginny. " Next time I'm in town, we'll have you and Hannah over for tea," she suggested.

" That'll be nice," said Neville, nodding.

" Come on, Gin, let's go home. You have to leave for Wales soon," said Harry.

" And we do have those cream buns waiting for us," said Ginny, licking her lips.

" Take care, guys. Ginny, good luck for the next Harpy match," said Neville, hugging her and shaking Harry's hand.

"Anything for Harry's big brother," grinned Ginny, and the two men laughed.

Harry and Ginny strolled home, arm in arm. Kreacher quickly made them a cup of tea when they arrived home.

" Busy weekend," sighed Ginny, leaning contentedly against him.

" But now you're away for another month," sighed Harry. " I'll miss you, as usual."

Ginny climbed into his lap. " You're not to pout," she admonished. " I want you to spend lots of time with Teddy, and go to the Burrow, and see Ron and Hermione. The month will go fast if you keep busy," she told him.

Kreacher arrived with the tea and the plate of buns. " I'll be home for day visits," she reminded him. She picked one up and fed it to him.

" It's not the same. Your family want to see you, Teddy wants to see you. I have you all to myself these weekends, I shouldn't complain?" he said. He took a bite of the bun. "Mmm, good."

"It's not for much longer," she said, taking a bite. " Next year I can Floo in from here every day. You'll get sick of the sight of me," she teased.

" Never," he said, his arms around her. He took another bite, and so did she.

" Mum will be on our backs about living in sin. You'll be inundated with hints about making an honest woman of me," she teased.

"If only your mother knew about our exploits last night," chuckled Harry.

Ginny laughed. "Merlin, our picture is on the wall at the Leaky!" she laughed. " And you-Auror by day, would-be robber by night," she teased.

Harry groaned. " If Robards ever finds out..." He shook his head.

" Aw, poor Harry," commiserated Ginny. " The only ones who know are me, you and Nev, and none of us are talking, yeah?"

" Yeah, I know. Unless he tells Hannah," said Harry.

"It will be fine, Harry. Come on, I still have a couple of hours before I need to leave for Holyhead. You can help me pack," she said, hopping off his lap and holding out her hand to help him stand.

" Kreacher washed all your clothes and repacked for you Friday when you first got home," said Harry.

Ginny rolled her eyes. " He hasn't washed these clothes, has he?" she asked, pulling at the top she was wearing.

" You can leave it here, for next time," said Harry. He liked seeing her clothes in his wardrobe, or her toothbrush in the stand next to his. It reassured him that she was only gone temporarily, and would come back to him.

" Or I could get out of my clothes and he can wash them now," said Ginny. " Work with me Harry."

" Oh," said Harry. " Oh!" he said again, grinning. "Let's go."

" Don't forget the buns, sweetie pie," she said.

" You got it, doll face," said Harry.

He grabbed the plate and followed her up the stairs.

 **Fun facts** Neville never did tell Hannah that it was Harry and Ginny that night. Hannah told the story often, of how she and Neville came to be a couple. How heroic he was that night, how she knew he would always be there to protect her. Neville would grin, and he, Ginny and Harry would exchange conspiratorial looks.

It definitely was NOT a fire-arm that Ginny and Harry were fiddling with

under the table.

Of the four cream buns Neville sent them the next morning, Ginny ate three

and a half.

Harry and Ginny's photo hung in the Leaky Cauldron for years. They both got

a secret delight in seeing it there.

Harry refused to let Ginny throw away the trench coat. She used it often.

Ginny refused to let Harry throw away the moustache. He kept it till one night

he forgot he had it on and went to see what was keeping a small Lily Luna

awake. She had screamed bloody murder, and Ginny came barrelling into her

room, wand out. When Lily cried out "Bad man," and pointed to her daddy,

Ginny quickly realised what was wrong. She ripped the moustache off Harry's

face immediately, telling Lily daddy was in disguise for work. From then on

Lily thought Harry played dress ups when he went to work.

* definitely the end *


End file.
